atlantis.found-第97部分

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　　　　　The　sun　blazed　from　an　azure　blue　sky；　its　intensity　tripled　by　the　reflection　off　the　crystallized　surface　as　the　big　red　Snow　Cruiser　crawled　over　the　freeze…dried　landscape　like　a　bug　over　a　wrinkled　white　sheet。　Veiled　by　a　gossamer　of　snow；　she　trailed　a　light　haze　of　blue　from　her　twin　diesels'　exhaust　drifting　in　the　air。　The　huge　wheels　crunched　loudly　as　they　rolled　over　the　snow　and　ice；　their　crude　crosscut　tread　gripping　without　slippage。　She　moved　effortlessly；　almost　majestically；　as　she　was　meant　to　do；　created　by　men　who　had　not　lived　to　see　her　fulfill　their　expectations。
　　　　　Pitt　sat　fortably　straight　in　the　driver's　seat；　and　gripping　the　buslike　steering　wheel；　drove　the　Cruiser　in　a　straight　line　toward　a　range　of　mountains　looming　far　off　to　the　horizon。　He　peered　through　heavily　polarized　sunglasses。　Snow　blindness　was　an　ominous　threat　in　cold　climates。　It　was　caused　by　conjunctiva　inflammation　of　the　eye　by　the　sun；　whose　glare　reflected　a　low…spectrum　ultraviolet　ray。　Anyone　unlucky　enough　to　suffer　the　malady　felt　like　sand　was　being　rubbed　in　their　eyes；　followed　by　blindness　that　lasted　anywhere　from　two　to　four　days。
　　　　　Frostbite；　though；　wasn't　a　hazard。　The　heaters　in　the　Snow　Cruiser　kept　the　cabins　at　a　respectable　sixty…five　degrees。　Pitt's　only　small　but　irritating　problem　was　the　constant　buildup　of　frost　on　the　three　windshields。　The　window　vents　did　not　put　out　enough　air　to　keep　them　clear。　Though　he　drove　wearing　only　an　Irish…knit　wool　sweater；　he　kept　his　cold…weather　clothing　nearby；　in　case　he　had　to　leave　the　cruiser　for　whatever　emergency　might　rear　its　unwele　head。　As　beautiful　as　the　weather　looked；　anyone　familiar　with　either　pole　knew　it　could　turn　deadly　in　less　time　than　it　took　to　tell　about　it。
　　　　　When　added　up；　more　than　a　hundred　and　fifty　deaths　had　been　recorded　in　Antarctica　since　exploration　had　begun；　when　a　Norwegian　sailor　on　a　whaling　ship；　Carstens　Borchgrevink；　had　bee　the　first　man　to　step　ashore　on　the　continent　in　1895。　Most　were　men　who　had　succumbed　to　the　cold；　like　Captain　Robert　Falcon　Scott　and　his　party；　who'd　frozen　to　death　on　their　return　trip　after　trekking　to　the　South　Pole。　Others　had　bee　lost　and　wandered　aimlessly　before　they　died。　Many　were　killed　in　aircraft　crashes　and　other　unfortunate　accidents。
　　　　　Pitt　wasn't　in　the　mood　to　expire；　certainly　not　yet　not　if　he　and　Giordino　were　to　stop　the　Wolfs　from　launching　a　frightful　horror　on　mankind。　Besides　manhandling　the　Snow　Cruiser　over　the　ice　shelf；　his　first　order　of　business　was　to　get　to　the　mining　facility　as　quickly　as　possible。　His　handheld　GPS　was　of　no　use。　The　geographic　display　on　Pitt's　unit　was　incapable　of　showing　his　exact　position　within　a　thousand　miles　of　the　pole。　Because　the　satellites　that　relayed　the　position　belonged　to　the　military；　who　had　not　planned　on　conducting　a　war　in　Antarctica；　they　were　not　in　orbit　over　that　part　of　the　globe。
　　　　　He　called　down　to　Giordino；　who　was　standing　below　and　behind　him；　hunched　over　a　chart　table　studying　a　map　of　the　Ross　Ice　Shelf　〃How　about　giving　me　a　heading？〃
　　　　　〃Just　keep　the　front　end　of　this　geriatric　antique　aimed　toward　the　highest　peak　of　those　mountains　dead　ahead。　And；　oh　yes；　be　sure　to　keep　the　sea　on　your　left。〃
　　　　　〃Keep　the　sea　on　my　left；〃　Pitt　repeated　in　exasperation。
　　　　　〃Well；　we　certainly　don't　want　to　run　off　the　edge　and　drown；　do　we？〃
　　　　　〃What　if　the　weather　closes　in　and　we　can't　see？〃
　　　　　〃You　want　a　heading；〃　Giordino　said　cynically。　〃Pick　any　pass　direction　you　want。　You've　got　three　hundred　and　sixty　choices。〃
　　　　　〃I　stand　chastised；〃　Pitt　said　wearily。　〃My　mind　was　elsewhere。　I'd　forgotten　that　all　pass　readings　down　here　point　north。〃
　　　　　〃You'll　never　get　on　Jeopardy。〃
　　　　　〃Most　of　the　category　questions　are　beyond　my　meager　mental　capacity　anyway。〃　He　turned　to　Giordino　and　made　a　shifty　grin。　〃I'll　bet　you　tell　bloody　horror　bedtime　stories　to　little　children。〃
　　　　　Giordino　looked　at　Pitt；　trying　to　decipher　his　meaning。　〃I　what？〃
　　　　　〃The　cliffs　at　the　edge　of　the　Ross　Ice　Shelf　reach　two　hundred　feet　above　and　nine　hundred　feet　below　the　surface　of　the　sea。　From　the　top　edge　to　the　sea　is　a　sheer　drop。　We　drive　off　the　ledge；　there　won't　be　enough　left　of　us　to　sail　anywhere。〃
　　　　　〃You　have　a　point；〃　Giordino　grudgingly　conceded。
　　　　　〃Besides　falling　into　a　bottomless　crevasse　or　being　lost　and　freezing　to　death　in　a　blizzard；　our　only　other　dilemma　is　if　the　ice　we're　driving　on　breaks　loose　or　calves　and　carries　us　out　to　sea。　Then　all　we'll　be　able　to　do　is　sit　and　wait　for　a　cataclysmic　tidal　wave　launched　by　the　polar　shift　to　sweep　us　away。〃
　　　　　〃You　should　talk；〃　Giordino　said；　his　voice　heavy　with　sarcasm。　〃Your　bedtime　stories　make　mine　sound　like　Mother　Goose　science　fiction　tales。〃
　　　　　〃The　skies　are　darkening；〃　Pitt　said；　staring　upward　through　the　windshield。
　　　　　〃Do　you　still　think　we　can　make　it　in　time？〃　asked　Giordino。
　　　　　Pitt　glanced　down　at　the　odometer。　〃We've　e　twenty…one　miles　in　the　last　hour。　Barring　unforeseen　delays；　we　should　be　there　in　just　less　than　two　hours。〃
　　　　　They　had　to　make　it　in　time。　If　the　special　assault　team　failed；　then　he　and　Giordino　were　the　only　hope；　as　inadequate　for　the　job　as　any　two　men　seemed。　Pitt　did　not　bask　in　an　aura　of　optimism。　He　well　knew　the　terrain　ahead　was　fraught　with　obstacles。　His　biggest　fears　were　rotting　ice　and　crevasses　seen　too　late。　If　he　wasn't　constantly　alert；　he　could　drive　the　Snow　Cruiser　into　a　deep　crevasse　and　send　it　plunging　hundreds　of　feet　into　the　Antarctic　Sea　below。　So　far；　the　frozen　wasteland　lay　fairly　flat。　Except　for　thousands　of　ripples　and　ruts　like　those　found　in　a　farmer's　plowed　field；　the　ride　was　reasonably　smooth。　Occasionally；　he'd　spot　a　crevasse　hiding　in　the　ice　ahead。　After　a　quick　stop　to　appraise　the　situation；　he'd　find　a　way　to　detour　around　it。
　　　　　The　thought　that　he　was　driving　a　thirty…five…ton　lethargic　monster　of　steel　across　an　icy　plain　with　deep　fissures　looming　unseen　in　every　direction　was　not　forting。　Few　words　in　a　dictionary　could　describe　the　feeling。　Suddenly；　a　crack　in　the　ice　became　visible；　but　only　after　he　vas　almost　on　top　of　it。　With　a　hard　twist　of　the　wheel；　he　dewed　the　Snow　Cruiser　around　sideways；　stopping　it　within　five　feet　of　the　edge。　After　driving　parallel　to　the　chasm　for　half　a　mile；　he　finally　found　a　firm　surface　five　hundred　yards　from　where　it　vanished　in　the　ice。
　　　　　He　glanced　at　the　speedometer　and　noted　that　the　speed　had　slowly　crept　up　to　twenty…four　miles　an　hour。　Giordino；　down　in　the　engine　room；　was　fussing　with　the　two　big　diesel　engines；　delicately　adjusting　the　valves　on　the　fuel　intake　pumps　and　increasing　the　flow。　Because　Earth's　air　is　thinner　at　the　poles　due　to　a　faster　rate　of　spin；　and　because　it　is　extremely　dry　and　cold；　the　fuel　ratio　needed　to　be　reset；　a　chore　Dad　and　his　crew　had　not　yet　performed。　Fuel　injection　was　constant　on　newer　diesel　engines；　but　on　the　sixty…year…old　Cummins；　the　fuel　flow　to　the　injectors　could　be　altered。
　　　　　The　frozen　desert　ahead　was　bleak；　desolate　and　menacing；　while　at　the　same　time　a　landscape　of　beauty　and　magnificence。　It　could　be　tranquil　one　moment　and　frightening　the　next。　In　Pitt's　mind；　it　suddenly　became　frightening。　His　feet　stomped　the　brake　and　clutch　of　the　Snow　Cruiser；　and　he　watched　stunned　as　a　crevasse　no　more　than　a　hundred　feet　away　opened　and　spread　apart；　the　crack　stretching　as　far　as　he　could　see　in　both　directions　across　the　ice　pack。
　　　　　Dropping　down　the　ladder　from　the　control　cabin；　he　threw　open　the　entry　door；　stepped　outside；　and　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　crevasse。　It　was　a　terrifying　sight。　The　color　of　the　ice　on　the　sides　that　fell　out　of　sight　turned　from　white　at　the　edge　of　a　beautiful　silver…green。　Its　gap　spanned　almost　twenty　feet。　He　turned　as　he　heard　the　crunch　of　Giordino's　feet　behind　him。
　　　　　〃What　now？〃　questioned　Giordino。　〃This　thing　must　run　forever。〃
　　　　　〃Frank　Cash　mentioned　that　the　wheels　could　retract　to　cross　crevasse。　Let's　check　out　the　operation　manual　that　Dad　gave　us。〃
　　　　　As　Dad　had　told　them；　the　Snow　Cruiser's　designer；　Tho